There was a time when Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai's on-screen chemistry kept their fans hooked. The two collaborated on some blockbuster films including Mohabbatein, Devdas, and Josh. However, there came a time in their professional life when a roadblock, thanks to personal complications, led to Shah Rukh Khan dropping Aishwarya Rai from not one but five films as a lead actress.
Aishwarya Rai admitted to this during an interview with Simi Garewal where the actress claimed that Shah Rukh Khan removed her as a lead actress from close to five films, including Veer Zaara and Chalte Chalte. When asked about the reason, Aishwarya Rai said, "How can I have the answer to that? Yes, at the time, there was talk of a couple of films that we would be working in together. And then, suddenly they weren’t happening, without any explanation whatsoever. I have never had the answer to why."
When Simi Garewal asked Aishwarya Rai about her feelings about being replaced, she said, "See, at the time, when you have no explanation, you’re obviously completely taken aback, and confused, and hurt. You wonder about it."
Aishwarya Rai, however, admitted that she never questioned Shah Rukh Khan about the reason behind the same. "It’s not in my nature to. If a person feels a need to explain it, they will. If they never did, they never intend to. So, it’s not in my nature to get into questioning what and why. Probably within myself, but I wouldn’t go up to a person and ask why. By the grace of God, I’m not defined by the other," she said.
Simi Garewal also mentioned to Aishwarya Rai that Shah Rukh Khan expressed regret at getting involved in her personal life to which she said, "I don’t have the answer to that. It wasn’t my decision to not do the films."
In a 2003 interview with India Today, Shah Rukh Khan said, "To start a project with someone and then change her for no fault of hers is very difficult. It is very sad as Ash is a good friend. Personally, I think I did wrong. But as a producer it made sense. I apologised to Ash."
Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan were last seen in the 2016 film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. In the film, directed by Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan made a guest appearance as Aishwarya Rai's ex-husband.
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